Monday Night’s Debate
Photo by Think Howell Of.
The candidate debate happened on Monday night. Hosted by Howell NJ First, the debate started out with a salute to the American flag, announcements of each candidate followed by applause, an explanation of the rules, and an introduction of the moderator: Stephanie Faughnan.
The rules were quite fair. The audience was advised not to heckle, or to applaud at any candidate’s remarks, or to disrupt the debate in any capacity. Stephanie Faughnan, a freelance journalist who writes for the Jersey Shore Online and the Asbury Park Press, shared the ethics behind her moderation. She created the questions, she was the only one who moderated the Facebook inbox that citizen questions were submitted to, and she even added her background as a court mediator, emphasizing the importance of hearing both sides to every argument.
Then everyone was given the opportunity to provide opening statements. At this point in the early night, things felt very civil, calm, and composed. Each candidate shared the history that ties them to Howell: Betty-Velez Gimbel (whose opening statement was first) owns a farm on Victory Road, which she points out was a dream of hers; Evelyn O’Donnell grew up on a farm in Howell, which she called a “magical thing”, and has served on various boards and on council for several years; Rebecca Scott has been a resident for eight years and wants to fight for the Howell that has provided a good life for her and her family; John Hughes has lived here seven years and once lived in Egg Harbor Township that was destroyed by overdevelopment,which he claims is the same thing happening to Howell; and John Leggio grew up here and wants to inspire his sons to be the change they want to see in the world.
The first round of questions existed in a brown wicker basket that was individually handed over to each candidate once it was their opportunity, another action enacted by Stephanie Faughnan and Howell NJ First to promote fairness. If you have been following the campaign closely or have even just glanced at each candidate’s Facebook account, the questions that were delivered would have been expected. They revolved around the hot topics of this campaign, such as warehouses, farming ordinances, overcrowding in single family homes, and quality of life.
The most shocking part of the debate was just how directly most of the candidates dog-piled on Evelyn O’Donnell, the only current sitting candidate. Betty Velez-Gimbel, whose opposition to Evelyn O’Donnell has been made apparent only in what seems to be whispers and intuitions, directed most of her answers to O’Donnell in a disapproving manner, showing publicly her aversion to the Republican councilwoman. In a question about farming ordinances, in which O’Donnell sympathized with a letter written by a local business criticizing the township’s handling of farms hosting events, Velez-Gimbel took to the mic immediately after and claimed her case against O’Donnell’s response, or so that’s what it seemed. Her final statement was, “Administration does not know farming.” Velez-Gimbel took a long pause, staring down O’Donnell, prompting a few audience members to applaud, which was shut down immediately by Stephanie Faughnan. Evelyn continued to stare straight ahead.
This series continued on along with other routine responses: Rebecca Scott answered questions somewhat sheepishly and humbly, John Leggio gave blunt answers that followed the tone of his campaign’s ‘No Strings’ mantra, and John Hughes came in with actual solutions.
John Hughes performed extremely well overall. He was direct, he had solutions to each problem, and he criticized Evelyn O’Donnell in a way that was indirect and fair. When it came to his position sitting next to Leggio, the two seemed like old pals. They agreed with each other on almost every question, they laughed and spoke to each other when the microphones were off, and they showed a clear admiration of each other’s efforts. It was a significant contrast to the two person rivalry happening to the far left of them. In the middle of both parties, Rebecca Scott held the moral fort, being disconnected from the contention between O’Donnell and Velez-Gimbel and opting to answer each question in a modest fashion.
John Leggio said some things that were found pretty shocking. In a round of individualized questions, Leggio was asked if he would work “with the other elected members of the council as a team” if he became mayor. In response, Leggio attributed Howell and Howell residents as the “team he’s working for.” As for the elected members, he said that he will not vote on anything that he does not truly believe in, despite party wishes. In conclusion to the question, Leggio noted, “As far as working with everyone, we’ll see how that’s going to go,” offering up room for skepticism to how he will act as mayor if he does not get along with the future council.
Leggio also, in his closing statement, spoke freely and unprovoked by decorum. He spoke most of Evelyn O’Donnell, saying she “has a lot of strings attached to her” and suggesting that it was time for her “to retire.” The way O’Donnell handled such lashings was honestly admirable. She did not respond to any negative comment towards her, and instead remained stoic in her answers and in her platform as an experienced councilwoman.
Whether or not the several accusations against Evelyn O’Donnell were valid, it still put most everyone sitting in Howell Middle School North’s media center on Monday night in an uncomfortable position. If you are able to take anything from the Democratic candidates Hughes and Scott, it is that change is able to happen in Howell without attributing all of the terrible things to just one person, even if she is sitting right next to you. Criticizing is different than hounding, but at Monday’s debate, the two seemed like fraternal twins, constantly being mistaken for the other despite looking completely different.
Despite the negative, there were also positive aspects of the debate. There was a good turn out, the questions were given fairly, there was a showcase of each candidate’s dedication to Howell, and there were multiple productive conversations around how things can become improved. I wish these were the only aspects worth writing about.
